1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an improved can compacting apparatus and, more specifically, to an electrically powered can compacting apparatus generally consisting of a plurality of gears operably coupled with a piston-type plunger to longitudinally crush cans and deposit them in a desired area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, the electrically powered systems developed for crushing or compacting cans were subject to major flaws. The systems of the past tend to be large and complicated or, on the other hand, limited to the hand feeding and then processing of one can at a time. Also, longitudinal crushing systems incorporated threaded shafts which require reversing motors and which create a relatively high level of friction in the drive train.
The prior art reveals numerous references. For example, McClure et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,070) disclose a compacting device with a door assembly which allows only one can to be loaded at a time and which includes a plunger with threaded movement which is triggered and limited by trip arms which activate switches to reverse the motor. The can crusher disclosed by Dodd (U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,536) requires the user to hand feed cans into the crusher one at a time and to manually remove the crushed can thereafter. Dodd also discloses a threaded shaft for moving a plunger and a switch for reversing the motor. A relatively large and heavy device for flattening cans, which does not include a plunger mechanism, is taught by Newman (U.S. Pat. 4,444,100). Bischoff (U.S. Pat. 3,817,169) discloses a can crusher which includes a complicated feeding device consisting of spaced rods and a pair of pins affixed to a finger supporting shaft. Whipple et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,341) describe a can crushing device which incorporates a threaded shaft to move a plunger and a reversible motor activated by a reversing switch. The Talley (U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,994) reference provides a hand fed can flattener which bends and then flattens the can and which requires a limit switch. Hiatt (U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,609) discloses a can pelletizer which, akin to Talley and others, must be hand fed and which includes both a plunger connected to a threaded shaft and a reversing motor with a limit switch connected thereto.
Accordingly, there is a distinct need for an apparatus for longitudinally crushing aluminum cans and the like, which may be automatically fed, which operates without requiring a reversing motor, which utilizes a low friction drive train, and which is adjustable to deposit compacted cans either in a variety of receptacles or on a flat surface upon which the apparatus is supported.